Anavila Misra opens her first retail space in Mumbai

Anavila Misra was on the lookout for a bigger studio room when she stumbled upon the perfect location that will now be the first retail space for her brand Anavila. The first thing Mishra says when questioned about the new location is that it overlooks Madhu Park in Khar. “It’s on a quiet lane lined with trees, away from the honking,” says the designer.

The quiet appeal of the go-slow Anavila aesthetic has charmed the Indian consumer, and Kangana Ranaut to Sonam Kapoor have sworn by the butter-soft linen of the saris. “The feel of the store is the way the brand is—we work with handlooms but the whole set up is modern and contemporary. Any product you hold will give you the essence our saris, that’s what we have tried to achieve from the store,” explains Misra.

The interactive space will house the studio and the store in the same environment. Mishra thinks the direct feedback from her consumers will only help her brand grow. Along with the launch of her retail space, Mishra will also introduce home linen and kids wear rages. The brand had been working on home furnishings for the export market, which will now be introduced to the Indian consumer.

As a sari label, Anavila aims to raise awareness about the six yards. “We say that the young girls are not wearing saris, so I had the thought of making sari doll for a very long time. I wanted to make a whole set with a doll and saris for young girls to play with and from that emerged a thought, why not make saris and sari blouses for little girls themselves?” she says.

Currently the store will stock up on the designer’s autumn/winter 2016 collections, slowly introducing the festive line.